Friday, 27 May 2016

Outstanding performances from Olga Andryushchenko on a new 2 CD set from Grand Piano of Alexander Mosolov’s Complete Works for Solo Piano

Alexander
Vasil’yevich Mosolov (1900-1973) was born in Kiev and studied under
Reinhold Glière (1874-1956), Nikolai Myaskovsky (1881-1950) and Sergei
Prokofiev (1891-1953) at the Moscow Conservatory. Initially he was very much an
arch-modernist but later adopted a more conventional style, drawing on central
Asian folk music.

When reviewing some of Mosolov’s works from the 1920’s on a Capriccio
disc, including his notorious Iron
Foundry and Concerto for Piano and
Orchestra No.1, it was his Piano
Sonata No. 1 that I found the most worthwhile piece.

Mosolov’s Piano
Sonata No. 1 in C minor, Op. 3 (1924) is in a single span and opens slowly
and rather gloomily as the composer slowly lays out a motif, soon overtaken by
a rush of dramatic chords as the opening idea is developed through passages of
intense complexity and virtuosity with this pianist rising magnificently to the
many challenges. Soon the music drops to a quiet and thoughtful section though
the toil, the turmoil and the drama are never far away. It subtly increases in
forward drive through sudden outbursts with this pianist showing terrific fluidity
in passages of powerful complexity, drawing undoubtedly on late Scriabin to a
coda where the power seems to drain away for a quiet end.

Having had this chance to hear this sonata played by another
fine pianist it reveals itself as an impressive work that surely deserves more
attention.

Of the Two Nocturnes,
Op.15 (1925-26) No. 1 Elegiaco, poco
stentato has a gentle opening in which Mosolov slowly picks over a motif before
becoming more insistent and complex, developing some fine dissonances with Scriabin
even more present before a gentle coda. No.
2 Adagio rises through trills before finding a more strident rapidly rising
and falling motif. It moves through bars of ever changing tempi and rhythms with
some powerful chords before the music falls away to find a quieter, rather
desolate conclusion.

No. 1 of the Three Small Pieces, Op. 23a (1927) has a
tumbling, descending motif before quickly striding through passages of forward
propulsion. It does slow and quieten but soon finds its energy again. No. 2 Moves off quickly in another
forward driving rhythm with quixotic little trills before the coda is quickly
reached. No. 3 brings a rapid three
note rising motif before developing through passages of suddenly changing ideas.

Two Dances, Op.23b
(1927) opens with(No.1) Allegro molto, sempre marcato that
has a fast moving spiky theme that dances forward, occasionally finding a
gentler, more melodic nature before finding fast changing, incisive moments that
lead to a sudden coda. No. 2 Allegretto
opens with a more gently flowing idea though Mosolov still brings sudden strange
little motifs, this pianist bringing some terrific fluency to the rapid scales
that follow.

Piano Sonata No.2 in
B minor, Op.4 ‘From Old Notebooks’ (1923-24) is in three movements
commencing with Sonata that has a
quite lovely opening with a gentle little motif in the right hand underpinned
by firmer chords with a subtle dissonance. The music soon reaches a fast moving
section with broad emphatic chords before shifting through some rather languid
passages overlaid with more dramatic ideas. It develops some very fine passages
of greater power before eventually finding the opening calm. Yet again it
builds in power through some terrific, more complex passages before a spiky
rhythmic idea appears only to get rolled into a frenetic forward rolling
passage. The music rises through more virtuosic, dramatic passages to arrive at
an insistent statement of the theme before calm at the end.

Adagio has a
gently swaying motif that Mosolov slowly and subtly develops before soon finding
a more impassioned moment. Its quiet nature returns with this pianist finding a
real tension in this impressive movement before building to a peak, only to
find a quiet coda.

The Final moves
off at a speed with many changes, rhythmic and decorative, building through
some impressive passages before a gentler middle section arrives. The music
again builds through ever more demanding passages to a formidable peak before a
hushed conclusion.

Mosolov’s Piano Sonata No. 3, Op. 6, (1924) has been lost so
it is with the Piano Sonata No. 4, Op.
11 (1925) that Olga Andryushchenko commences Disc 2. Some fine rippling
phrases quickly gain in power before a slow steady development takes place. The
music rises again in power but returns to its quieter stance. This pianist’s
terrific phrasing helps this constantly shifting and evolving music to keep a
clarity of structure. Scriabin still keeps a presence through moments of lovely
delicacy contrasted against music of great confidence and power, constantly
building from quieter moments before descending to a hushed coda on two
solitary notes.

Turkmenian Nights –
Phantasy for Piano (1929) is in three sections commencing with Andante con moto that brings rapidly
rising and falling phrases over which a theme is heard. There is more
formidably fine playing from Andryushchenko in music that brings fierce forward
driving drama. There are moments where there are dissonant, playful little
motifs before the opening returns to drive to a sudden end.

The Lento has an
insistent little dissonant theme that soon gains in strength as this pianist
thunders out the chords. Soon there is a quieter development of the theme
before moving through the most complex dissonances. A rapid insistent rhythmic
passage is heard before high chords are hammered out and the music falls back
with little dissonant outbursts to a strident coda.

The Allegro takes
off with a faltering rhythmic idea before moving through passages of intense
drive. Soon a gentler passage with rapid little descending phrases arrives before
finding a momentum to move to the coda.

Piano Sonata No.5 in
D minor, Op.12 (1925) has a four movement structure opening with Lento grave - Allegro affanato which
brings a slow beautifully broad theme that soon develops in tempo and
complexity through quite lovely quieter passages of great feeling. Later the
music rises in drama with passages of strikingly bold phrases, through quite
florid moments to a sudden coda.

With the Elegia a
rhythmic theme gently and deliberately walks forward through some lovely quiet,
perfectly controlled passages. It tries to rise in strength, taking the
rhythmic idea forward but returns to its opening pace. Eventually the music manages
to find moments of more power but the opening returns to take us to the end.

The Scherzo marziale
hurtles in quickly, full of complex rhythms and harmonies as it hurtles
forward, this pianist bringing a fine clarity to the textures. The music moves
through some formidable passages before suddenly arriving at a quiet, slow
moving section before driving to the conclusion.

There is a strength and muscularity in the opening passage
of the Adagio languente e patetico as
it moves freely ahead, developing the theme through powerful chords. Later rippling
phrases appear gently between the powerful phrases but the chords take us
ahead, developing complex muscular passages right up to the forceful coda.

These are outstanding performances from Olga Andryushchenko
of works that deserve to be heard. The sonatas, in particular, are impressive
and, though Scriabin’s spirit runs through much of these compositions they are
fine works in their own right.

Olga Andryushchenko is well recorded at the CMS Studio,
Mosocw, Russia and there are informative booklet notes. This is a fine addition
to the catalogue of 20th Century Russian music.

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About The Classical Reviewer

The Classical Reviewer has been involved in music for many years, as a classical record distributor, as a newspaper concert reviewer and writer of articles relating to music as well as reviewing for Harpsichord and Fortepiano magazine.

He assisted in the cataloguing of the scores of the late British composer George Lloyd and has co-authored a memoir of his friendship with the composer.

Having a particular interest in British music, he regularly undertakes talks on Elgar.

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